He's Happy
by MegSoro
Summary: Aiden finds something to keep him happy, will Bishop take it away or allow him to play with it?
1. The Finding

It was a dark, moonless night. It was just before Christmas, in New York. Bishop and Aiden had lived in the city for the past six years; Bishop decided he liked the town. But like anything else, Bishop grew tired of the city that never slept. And of course, he wanted to go out with a bang. He, Aiden, his ever-faithful companion, and a few others descended upon a rundown quadplex in Brooklyn. Soon twelve bodies were scattered around the building.

Aiden stood, so gorged he felt a bit dizzy as he watched another vampire sprinkle gasoline through the halls. The deaths would be chalked up to a simple arson. Aiden was walking down the stairs when the faint sound of a pulse came through one of the doors. He stopped and listened, who could have been so foolish not to finish the kill?

But as he listened, he realized it was the pulse of a child- a small one at that. Aiden could never hurt the children; he always left them for the others. Against his better judgment, Aiden grasped the doorknob, and peered into the room. In the darkness, he could see a tiny huddled form curled under some blankets in a corner. A woman's lifeless body lay feet away. Bloody footprints quickly explained that the child saw it's mother, and scurried to hide.

Aiden walked closer. He didn't fear hurting the child, even though the smell of blood wafted through the room. He was simply too full. Gingerly, he pulls at a blanket, revealing a mop of blonde curls. He quickly let go, as the boy emitted a sharp squeak.

Aiden could smell the gasoline. They would be lighting it soon. He began to panic a little. He couldn't let the boy die in the fire. And he couldn't kill him.

His thoughts were quickly interrupted.

"Aiden, come," Bishop's cool voice called from the hall.

Aiden looked to the hall, and then back at the now shaking boy. Bending down, he quickly scooped the child up, holding him tight.

"Shh…" he coos, as the child begins to whimper.

He walks out into the hallway, looking to Bishop.

"Bringing along a snack?"

Aiden frowned. "I want to keep him-"

For a moment, Aiden looked like a child asking his father for a pet. Bishop rolled his eyes. He knew his Aiden was eccentric, but this would be a first. Thinking this would be like Aiden's other past pursuits- and quickly end- Bishop just nodded. Aiden just smiled like a fool.

Aiden avoided the looks of the other vampires with them, and once they were back in their town home, Aiden quickly moved to his room. The boy had been quiet, his only movements were his fingers clenching and unclenching into Aiden's shirt.

Gingerly placing the child down, Aiden wasn't surprised when he quickly covered himself in his blanket again. Squatting down next to the bed, Aiden smiles softly.

"I'm Aiden."

The boy didn't move.

"I'm going to take care of you."

The boy peeked out from the blanket, Aiden could see tears forming. "Mommy," he demanded.

Aiden frowned. From his limited knowledge of children, the boy seemed about three or four.

"I'm going to take care of you," he repeated, gently, quietly, leaning closer to the boy, a smile on his face.

"What's your name?"

The boy pushed a few curls away from his face, obviously contemplating on whether to throw a fit or comply. Aiden watched with baited breath. Was this a mistake?

"Jack," he finally mumbles, before quickly disappearing under his blanket.

Aiden stood, allowing Jack to hide. It was a lot to process. Aiden walked about his room, turning the television on, locking his bedroom door. Not to keep Jack inside, but to keep the others out. Not that it could do much- but the leave me alone was implied. Walking into his adjoined bathroom, Aiden runs himself a shower. As he washes the blood away, he keeps his ears tuned as he hears others approach his door, Jack rustle the sheets.

Walking out of the bathroom, he's surprised to see Jack sprawled across the bed, sleeping. Shrugging, he sat on the edge of the bed, watching tv. Eventually, he slowly moved back, allowing himself to have an unneeded nap. The high from earlier was wearing off, and even though he could hear Jack's pulse rhythmically thumping, he found no desire to have the boy.

Aiden jumped awake, feeling a tiny finger poke at his ribs. Jack squeaked, and quickly shuffled across the king size bed.

Aiden stared at the boy, a confused look on his face. "What's wrong?"

Jack squirmed in his seat, shrugging at first, biting his lower lip.

"I'm hungry," he whines.

Aiden's eyes grew wide. He forgot he'd have to feed this thing… food. Glancing to the clock, he could see it was well past lunchtime for a normal person.

"Well, we're going to have to find you something to eat," Aiden says with a smiles, standing up, offering his hand to Jack.

Jack looked at the extended hand, frowning, biting his lip again, before he slowly reached out to take it.

"Stay close to me, okay?"

Aiden smiled as Jack nodded. He knew Bishop probably already declared the boy off limits, but Aiden wasn't going to test that assumption. Walking out of his room, Aiden listened carefully. Bishop made the others get jobs, and it seemed everyone was doing what they were supposed to, because Aiden couldn't hear anyone.

Holding Jack's hand loosely, Aiden walked down the hall. He was amused when they came to the stairs and Jack insisted on having both feet on each stair before moving to the next. Aiden stopped at the bottom of the stairs, seeing Bishop waiting for him in the living room. He gingerly pulled Jack close, a hand resting behind the boy's head, making sure he stayed close.

"And where are we going, Aiden?"

"Jack's hungry," he simply replied.

Bishop looked to the small child, nodding. "We certainly don't have anything here for him, I guess that will have to change."

Aiden nodded. "He'll need… things. Kid things… So I was going to go shopping as well."

Bishop nodded. "I assumed as much, why don't we all go out?"

Aiden raised a brow. This was interesting. Bishop usually left Aiden to his own devices, especially with his pet projects.

To Aiden, the day was an odd one. First they went to some diner for breakfast. That was the first time Jack amazed him. The boy ate everything that was placed in front of him. Aiden knew in this day and age, they probably looked like a family- they didn't stick out too much while they shopped.

They were currently standing in a toy store. Bishop had dragged both Aiden and Jack through the necessities, clothing, shoes, boring things. Aiden had been waiting for the toy stop all day. Hell, he was almost remembering what feeling like a child was like. Jack held Aiden's hand most of the day, but in the toy store he was practically shaking with excitement. Ever since lunch- where he amazed even Bishop with his appetite- when Aiden announced the toy store was going to be a stop, Jack was non-stop jabbering about this and that. This made Aiden happy. He hadn't been happy in a long time, but this was making him insanely happy.

Bishop wandered off, allowing Aiden and Jack to wander aisle by aisle. Aiden watched as Jack pulled two plastic dinosaurs off a display. Watching a toddler weigh the pros and cons of each, and eventually choosing a Brontosaurus, actually made him chuckle. Jack held out the dinosaur to Aiden. Aiden took it, and placed it in the basket he carried.

"Why don't you get the T-Rex too?"

Jack looked confused, and with eyes turned to Aiden. "I can get both?"

"Anything you want," he chuckles.

Bishop eventually found them, raising a brow at the amount. How could a child actually use all of these things? But he said nothing, seeing how Jack was jabbering away in Aiden's arms. After allowing Jack to pick a few toys to carry home, Bishop arranged for delivery.

Back at the house, Aiden scooped up Jack as soon as they entered. He could tell the others were home. Bishop saw his companion tense.

"They've been warned not to harm him," he says coolly.

Aiden nodded, although he didn't put Jack down, even though he was begging to go play.

"Let's go upstairs, buddy," Aiden says, effortlessly balancing Jack in one arm, a bag of toys in the other.

"I'm hungry."

Aiden rolled his eyes. "You just had ice-cream, you're good for now. I swear you have tapeworms or something."

"What's a tapeworm?"

Aiden just chuckled.

Bishop watched as they went up the stairs, before quickly turning his gaze toward Marcus. He had turned Marcus nearly fifty years ago, and he always seemed to be jealous of Aiden and what he could get away with.

"Are you sure he can take care of a pet, Bishop?"

"We'll see," Bishop says, walking past the other.

He didn't care what the others thought. He wanted Aiden to happy like this for a long time. That was the Aiden Bishop loved.


	2. My Son

"He will grow old, and die, Aiden. You can have him forever…" Bishop's voice cooed softly to his young protégé.

Aiden sat there, cradling the young boy in his arms, he was asleep, and Aiden wouldn't let go. He knew what Bishop wanted- another toy, another plaything, an experiment.

Aiden had Jack for six of the boy's ten years. He watched him grow from quirky toddler to the small, hyper child. And every day, he knew he was gambling with the boy's life. Having him around the other vampires was asking for a quick and bloody death. Aiden knew Bishop wouldn't hurt Jack, because he knew Aiden would leave him again. Bishop hated loosing Aiden.

They had just celebrated Jack's tenth birthday. The boy was obviously spoiled. Aiden saw that he had everything he wanted, and Bishop indulged this behavior, for the pure fact of keeping Aiden happy.

"He's too young. He's a baby-" Aiden hissed. Bishop had been bringing this up too often lately.

Aiden knew that Bishop wanted to experiment. A child vampire. It had never been done. Children could be unpredictable creatures naturally. Add the powers of a vampire, and a single temper tantrum could raze cities. The raw power a child vampire could possess would be a valuable asset.

"And he'll be your baby forever, Aiden." Bishop's voice sounded so soft and sweet. So fatherly. He sounded so… right.

Aiden stood quickly, Jack still slumbering away clueless. "No."

Bishop sighed, shaking his head. He hated to do this to Aiden, but it had to be done. "Then I'm afraid, Aiden, you're going to have to leave…"

Aiden's eyes flickered to Bishop. "Then I take him!"

Bishop snorted, shifting in his seat. "You know you can't, Aiden. The boy is mine."

Aiden's face fell. He knew Bishop was right. The longer a vampire is around his maker, the more obedient he became. Aiden had been with Bishop for several years this time, and he knew he wouldn't be able to disobey him. Bishop took care of Aiden, and in turn, took care of Jack.

"Don't hurt him, Bishop- please-" Aiden pleads, gingerly placing Jack back onto the couch.

"He'll feel no pain, Aiden. That I promise you," Bishop smirks.

Aiden gave one last look at Jack, and with a flash of his fangs, he left. He couldn't bear to watch Bishop kill Jack.

Aiden managed to stay away from Bishop for two years- one of his longest stretches. A vampire is just drawn to their maker. But Rebecca happened. He needed his help. And then Bishop was everywhere. But he didn't see Jack. He was sure if he was still around, Bishop's new golden boy, Aiden would have seen him. Bishop paraded Rebecca in front of him. A vampire Jack would have been Bishop's ultimate taunt.

The desire to find out what happened to Jack brought him back here. Bishop's blood house. It was like a club for vampires- donors- slaves actually, sometimes lesser vampires, offered themselves for feasting on. He walked in, and once his coat was taken, Aiden looked around, surveying the rooms.

His gaze traveled to each one, until it settled on the grouping of plush armchairs towards the back. Sitting there, in the center, was Bishop. Marcus was to his right, and in Bishop's lap a teenage boy. Aiden recognized that mop of curly blonde hair right away. It was his Jack. Aiden stood there, halfway down the warehouse's center aisle, staring. Bishop noticed him, and gave him a smirk.

"Aiden, why don't you come join us?" Bishop smiles.

At the sound of Aiden's name, the boy's head perked up.

"Aiden?"

Aiden nodded. It was all he could do. He could sense the pulse. His Jack was alive. Breathing.

Bishop gently nudged the boy, and he took it as a cue to rush towards Aiden. The teenager quickly launched himself at Aiden, wrapping his arms around the vampire's middle.

"I missed you!" he grins. "Bishop told me you had to go away, but you were gone so long!"

Aiden could see Bishop smirking. He knew he had Aiden in his grasp. Jack took Aiden's hand, and he jabbered on, about how much Aiden had missed. Jack never saw his "family" as weird or wrong. In the spoils lavished on him by Aiden and Bishop, he quickly forgot of the demise of his real family.

Aiden sat in a chair, near Bishop, and Jack quickly clambered up into his lap, as if no time had passed. Aiden just looked at Jack, amazed at how much he had grown in just a short amount of time. Children amazed him.

Bishop watched the interaction with a smug smirk across his face. He allowed their interaction for a short while, but he stood up, and looked towards Jack.

"You have school in the morning, Jack."

Aiden snapped out of his trance. "School?"

Jack nodded and giggled. "Yeah! They think that Bishop is my dad! How funny is that?"

Aiden frowned and nodded. Aiden couldn't picture Bishop attending PTA meetings and parent teacher conferences.

Jack slipped off of Aiden's lap, frowning as Bishop quickly stood as well.

"Aiden, you're not going to disappear again are you?"

Aiden frowns, shaking his head, almost flinching at Bishop's smirk.

"No, I'll see you soon, okay?"

Jack nods, although he was hesitant to let Aiden's hand go.

Aiden watched as Bishop and Marcus took his Jack away. He just stood there for a moment, staring blankly after them. How could he allow himself to miss so much?

It had been two weeks since Aiden had last seen Bishop and Jack. He had done his best to stay away, but he had to do it. He found himself walking into the funeral parlor, nodding to the receptionist- Sally, or was it Sarah? Aiden shrugs, and just continues to the garage, where he knew Bishop would be.

Bishop was sitting at his desk, looking towards the door, as if he was expecting Aiden to come.

"Ah, Aiden. I was wondering what took you long?"

Aiden frowned, stopping just short of the desk.

"You didn't change him," he says simply.

Bishop nodded. "Oh, don't think I didn't want to. But I didn't want to loose something so precious. There were several experiments. He's not ready yet."

"Experiments?"

"Did you really think I would rush into something as large as this? There were three others. Three failures."

Aiden frowned. Bishop had tortured three other children. But his Jack was all right. His Jack was human.

"Where is he?"

Bishop looked blankly at Aiden for a moment, before glancing to his watch. "He's in third period down at the Windsor School."

Aiden arched his brows. "You really put him in school? How do you explain things?"

Bishop snorted, rolling his eyes, finally standing. He walks around to the front of the desk, leaning on it.

"He's my adopted son. A very large donation stops any other questions."

Aiden snorted. "Just like you. Throw money at it. It's dangerous for him to be in school, you said that yourself."

And Bishop had. They had left New York soon after Aiden had acquired Jack. Bishop and Aiden returned to Boston, Aiden's home town. They were living in a small home near the funeral home. Jack was six. The boy was inquisitive and smart. And Aiden wanted to get him into school, he knew Jack would love it, the boy was begging him for months.

After putting Jack down for the night, Aiden walked downstairs, and into the room Bishop used as an office. Aiden liked this house more than any of the previous ones. It was just him, Bishop and Jack. He knew Bishop wouldn't hurt Jack, and he didn't need to be on edge all the time.

Bishop glanced up from his paperwork, smiling to Aiden.

"He's asleep?"

Aiden nodded, sitting in the chair across the desk.

"I was thinking…"

"I hate it when you do that," Bishop sighed.

Aiden just ignored his comment, and continued on. "I was thinking, we could send him to school.. you know he's been asking…"

Bishop sighed. "You obviously weren't thinking. It'd be too dangerous for him to go to school. How do we explain what we are?"

"Boston is open minded-"

"Oh, stop it, Aiden. How would you explain to parents, teachers, that we don't age? I know you won't sit on the side lines. You'll want to be _involved_."

Aiden frowned. "It's not fair to keep him cooped up with us all the time!"

"You should have thought about that two years ago," Bishop snapped, before going back to his work, effectively dismissing Aiden.

Bishop looked back at Aiden, shrugging. "He wanted to go to school, I signed him up. Junior high and high school I can just say, hey, I age well."

Aiden snorted. "Can I see him?"

Bishop frowned. "So you can run off with my son?"

"You're son?"

"Yes, Aiden, my son. Just like you are my son."

Aiden frowned. "Not yet. He's not yours."

"Aiden, your sense of entitlement is starting to annoy me. Our precious Jack wouldn't be here, if I wasn't in the habit of indulging you, that boy would have died in the fire."

Aiden was silent for a few moments. "Then indulge me again, let me see him."

Bishop eyed Aiden warily. "I'll let you pick him up from school, but I swear to you, if he's not back here by midnight, I will hunt you down."

"I'll bring him back," Aiden choked out.

Bishop nodded, and scribbled on a piece of paper, handing it to Aiden. "That's the address of the school. He gets out at three."

Aiden took the paper, and without another word, walked out. So many things were racing through his mind. He could take Jack and run. And keep running. But that wouldn't be a life for Jack. Jack was lucky. He was going to school, getting to be a kid… and living breathing kid.

Aiden stood in amongst the other waiting parents, at the front door of the school. He barely stood out, except, maybe his age. Most of these parents could pass for their thirties or mid forties, Aiden looked twenty five, if that. He couldn't even remember how old he was sometimes.

He was pulled out of his trance when the school doors slammed open, and children began stampeding out into the playground, towards their parents and buses. Aiden glanced over each child, before quickly spotting that mop of blonde hair.

"Jack!" he called, smiling as the child recognized his voice.

"Aiden!" he calls out, running over to him, launching himself at Aiden. "What are you doing here? Marcus or Bishop usually picks me up!"

Aiden frowned hearing Marcus was around Jack. His Jack. But he quickly shakes that off, hugging Jack tight. "I get you until midnight, tonight. What do you wanna do?"


	3. Ohana

Jack shrugged, allowing Aiden to take his backpack. Aiden walked to his car, listening as Jack jabbered on about his day. Once settled into the car, Jack looked to Aiden, grinning.

"So where do you live now? Bishop said you've been in Boston this whole time! How come you didn't visit me? Why did you leave?"

Starting the car, Aiden stared blankly off in the distance for a moment, before looking to Jack, sighing heavily.

"Bishop and I had a fight. We needed our space. I left because he could take better care of you then I could. You know I would never forget you."

Jack just nodded, although he slumped in his seat a little.

"So, what do you wanna do?" Aiden asked, pulling out of the school parking lot.

"I dunno," he mumbled. "Can we go to your house? You do live in a house right? Marcus said you were running a kennel. Do you have a dog?"

Aiden chuckled. "Yes, I have a house. Yes, we can go there. And I have a dog… in a way."

Aiden drove across town, and pulled into the alley next to the house. Getting out of the car, he looks to Jack.

"Do you have homework?"

"No-" Aiden raised his brows, obviously questioning that statement. "Well, yeah. But I'll do it tomorrow on the drive over!"

Taking Jack's backpack, Aiden shook his head. "We'll do it together."

Jack just huffed.

Rounding the corner of the house, Aiden was so distracted by how he was going to explain Sally to Jack- he couldn't see her after all- that he didn't notice when Jack stopped at the bottom of the stairs, gazing intently at the makeshift memorial across the street.

"Aiden, what's that?"

Aiden paused, looking to where Jack was pointing. Bernie's memorial. Aiden had been avoiding looking at the jumble of dying flowers and toys for weeks now. Taking Jack's shoulder, Aiden urged him inside.

"A little boy, a little younger than you, was hit by a car, he.. he… died."

"Oh."

Aiden did his best to introduce Sally to Jack. Jack obviously thought he was nuts, so Aiden just shrugged it off, and set Jack up with his homework in the kitchen. But in between Algebra and English, he couldn't help but let his thoughts wander off to Bernie.

Bernie had been his replacement to Jack. He knew that's what Rebecca had in mind when she changed the boy. They had talked of stealing Jack and running off- the three of them, a family. Aiden wouldn't admit it, but Rebecca, yeah, Rebecca he could see spending many lifetimes with. Rebecca wanted to take Bernie, a family of vampires.

Letting Bernie go was the most difficult thing he had ever done. He wanted to make it work. But it had taken him nearly two hundred years to be the way he was; he knew a child couldn't do it. Plus, being forever a child isn't fair to anyone.

"Aiden, this maybe a stupid question, but do you and Casper have anything to eat?"

Aiden snapped out of his thoughts, smiling. "Yeah, we do. What, I don't know. Remember the dog Marcus was telling you about? Really a werewolf… a stinky one at that…"

Jack giggled, going over to the fridge, quite happy there would be something in it. Just as he was rounding the kitchen table, Josh walked in.

"You know, Aiden. Werewolves have good ears too," he grins. He knew Jack was here, Sally had practically attacked him at the door telling him how cute he was, how mad she was that he couldn't see her.

Aiden just shrugs, smiling.

"Hi! I'm Jack!"

Josh blinked. How could anything that grew up around vampires be so.. happy? "I'm Josh."

Jack nodded, grabbed an apple from the fridge, and went back to the table, climbing into Aiden's lap.

Aiden snorted, looking down at the young teen. "You're nearly thirteen years old, and you're worse than a lap dog."

Jack shrugged, looking through his planner. "All my homework is done, see? Can we watch a movie or something?"

Aiden nodded, nudging Jack off of his lap. "In my room upstairs, first door on the right, tons of DVDs. Pick any one," he says, watching as Jack went upstairs.

Aiden avoids Josh's smile. It was one of those, "aw, you're so cute smiles".

"So who is he exactly?" Josh asks, grabbing himself a beer and sitting down across from Aiden.

"My s- Bishop's pet project. Bishop keeps him as a pet," Aiden says simply. He didn't want to explain it all to Josh with Jack in the house.

Josh nodded, smiling softly to Jack as he came back into the kitchen.

"You took it!" Jack smiles, holding a Lilo and Stitch DVD. "I told Bishop it went missing! I knew I didn't loose it!"

Aiden smiles. Jack had been obsessed with Lilo and Stitch when Aiden had left. Aiden had taken the DVD as a reminder. The story's theme of ohana, or family, seemed to fit them so well.

Aiden follows Jack into the living room, where the boy had already set up the DVD. Jack curled up into Aiden, and Aiden couldn't help but think of when the movie first became a staple. Bishop and Aiden were fighting constantly, and like any other children, Jack was scared.

Aiden was sitting in Jack's room, curled up with the boy on the bed. It was nearly four in the morning; his and Bishop's arguing had awoken a seven-year-old Jack. Jack was tiny, and could easily fit curled up against Aiden. Aiden had his arms around the boy, holding him close as the movie was coming to a close.

"Ohana, means family," Jack started.

"Family means no one gets left behind or forgotten," Aiden finished, hugging Jack close.

"You'll never forget me, right, Aiden? Even when I'm all big? And you're still here?"

Aiden sighed, hugging him tighter. "I'll never forget you, ever. You're my ohana."

"Ohana," Jack yawned, drifting off to sleep.


End file.
